To a mind divided and blinded by the dissonant vibrations of doubt, fear and uncertainty it is very hard to see and choose the right path to salvation.
One should never forget that ultimately it is the illuminative knowledge acquired in right concentration, Samadhi, that paves the way which brings forth the light that leads to final salvation.
In Samadhi, the Mind is in a super-concentrated state of self-introspection, which is a purely spiritual activity where the Mind, now completely empty of any attributes is filled with the clear light of its own true nature.
For you whom still hold doubt, know then, that darkness travels by means of darkness and light travels by means of light.
If you ever feel you are lost on your comings and goings in the great forest of Samsara, whatever of the aforementioned you choose to plant single-mindedly in your heart, determines the nature of the path you have chosen.
Tozen
“The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge” (Proverbs 1:7). Human knowledge, apart from God, is flawed. The Bible also refers to it as worthless because it isn’t tempered by love (1 Corinthians 13:2). The knowledge man possesses tends to make one proud. “Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up” (1 Corinthians 8:1). Therefore, the pursuit of knowledge for its own sake, without seeking God, is foolishness. “Then I applied myself to the understanding of wisdom . . . but I learned that this, too, is a chasing after the wind. For with much wisdom comes much sorrow; the more knowledge, the more grief” (Ecclesiastes 1:17-18).
Knoweldge qua gnosis in “contemplative spirituality” encourages the pursuit of a mystical experience with God. Mysticism is the belief that knowledge of God, spiritual truth, and ultimate reality can be gained through subjective experience. This emphasis on experiential knowledge erodes the authority of Scripture. We know God according to His Word. “All Scripture is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Timothy 3:16-17). God’s Word is complete. There is no reason to believe that God adds additional teachings or truths to His Word through mystical experiences. Instead, our faith and what we know about God is based on fact.
Instead of “super-concentrated self-introspection” – this self-absorbed attitude of the meditating ascetic, the way out of spiritual confusion is the cross. The spiritual confusion and suffering are not something to be pushed away or transcended with meditation. Instead, it is God’s work on us. When we look at a Buddha-statue, we see someone self-absorbed in his inner subjectivity. When we look at the Cross, we see someone suffering and opened towards us. As spectators, we are not neutral. Actually we are the ones nailing him to the cross. The cross is a constant challenge. God’s plan is not to bring us to some blissful meditative state, but to torture us until He kills us. So that we may share in Christ’s Golgotha and also His resurrection and Eternal Life as sons of the Living God.
I prayed to see God’s face
But it was hidden from me.
So I asked, to whom shall I pray?
And I saw my own face.
I saw that neither God nor myself
Were hidden from each other.
–N. Yeti
Yeti: When Moses wanted to see God face to face, God told him that a person cannot stay alive after seeing God directly … If you care about the biblical narrative, God actually doesn’t want us to know him. He decided how he wants to disclose Himself to us. And the way he disclosed himself is the cross, through Christ’s suffering. If we want to know Him beyond that, it’s just human greed. The cross is not something pleasing … not the knowledge we want … we’d rather be floating in gnostic abstractions instead of facing the sin of our lives.
(And how powerless we are against sin!)